Saturday, April 23, 2011

Cop Linked to Ticket-Fixing Probe Has Troubling History

In 1997, Officer Sharon Holder shot Officer Jose Ramos in the arm and shoulder, then shot herself in the abdomen. A cop whose suspected ties to a Bronx drug dealer sparked a ticket-fixing probe is lucky to be alive - his cop girlfriend once shot him and wound up in prison, sources said. Officer Jose Ramos was a four-year veteran assigned to the 20th Precinct when he was shot Aug. 4, 1997, in the garage of the Washington Heights building where Officer Sharon Holder lived. "I can't take it anymore," Holder said then, the Daily News reported. "I'm going to kill you and kill myself." Holder, distraught that the married Ramos wanted to end the relationship, shot him in the arm and shoulder, then shot herself in the abdomen. The cops, friends from the Police Academy and colleagues at the 20th Precinct, blamed each other for the off-duty shooting. Holder pleaded to felony assault and served 3-1/2 years in prison. Ramos moved on with his career and eventually wound up at the 40th Precinct, where he was a union delegate from June 2006 until February 2008. Some time after that, Internal Affairs opened a case on Ramos after hearing he might have ties to a drug dealer, sources said. The investigation focused in part on a barbershop in Soundview linked to Ramos' father. Sources said Ramos was heard on a wiretap asking another delegate to take care of a ticket. Bronx prosecutors then started their still-ongoing investigation. About 40 cops, including police union officials, could be indicted by a grand jury on charges ranging from official misconduct to larceny to bribery, sources said. Another 100 officers or so could face NYPD departmental charges. Ramos is on modified duty and assigned to a viper unit, which monitors video surveillance at housing projects. He declined comment on the investigation. Meanwhile, the Sergeants Benevolent Association encouraged cops of all ranks to provide evidence of ticket-fixing no matter who was involved. rparascandola@nydailynews.com

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors the federal, state and local men and women of law enforcement. It is important to remember that the vast majority of our country's law enforcement officers also fight against lawlessness and corruption.